Processor manufacturer Qualcomm Technologies and esports company ESL Gaming have announced the Snapdragon Pro Series, a new global mobile esports ecosystem.
According to the release, the Snapdragon Pro Series will have competitions based in North America, Europe, the Middle East, China, North Africa, Asia-Pacific and India. The series, set to commence in April 2022, is part of a multi-year agreement between both entities and will feature a total prize pool that amounts to $2m (£1.52m).
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As well as describing itself as a ‘global mobile esports ecosystem’, the series is expected to be a multi-genre mobile esports competition. The Snapdragon Pro Series will seemingly replace ESL’s current mobile esports ecosystem, which was first introduced in March 2021.
Similar to ESL Mobile, the Snapdragon Pro Series will feature an ‘Open’ and ‘Challenge’ tier which will be open to all players in the previously mentioned regions. However, a new third tier called Masters will be added to ESL’s mobile esports ecosystem.
In an interview with Kevin Rosenblatt earlier this year, the General Manager of Mobile at ESL Gaming hinted towards a ‘master’s programme’ tailored towards mobile titles that have a greater depth of ‘competitive experience’.
Craig Levine, Co-CEO at ESL Gaming, commented: “The rapid rise of mobile esports is well-documented, and we’re incredibly proud of the role ESL has played in that to date. Our new collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies and its Snapdragon brand will elevate our mobile ecosystem to its fullest potential.
“We’re excited to transform the future of mobile esports for players and fans around the world, continuing to create a world where everybody can be somebody.”
Although specific details of the series are scarce, the new partnership is set to have a number of regional leagues and tournaments, as well as a large-scale global finals event for its Masters level competition. Details such as titles that will be utilised throughout the series have not been revealed, however, last year ESL Mobile provided competitions for Brawl Stars, Clash of Clans, Clash Royale, PUBG Mobile and League of Legends: Wild Rift.
The two companies also revealed that the tournaments will be played exclusively on mobile devices that support Qualcomm Elite Gaming technology.
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Don McGuire, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., added: “Qualcomm Technologies is all-in on gaming. Snapdragon Elite Gaming has led the industry across the mobile gaming technology stack benefiting gamers at all levels and enabling the ecosystem to deliver best in class gameplay.
“In partnership with ESL, Snapdragon Pro Series will be an important additional pillar of our comprehensive gaming strategy allowing us to build category leadership in mobile esports globally.”
Esports Insider says: ESL and Qualcomm announced a lot, however, there is still a lot left to reveal, such as the titles that will be included. The prize pool for the upcoming event does not seem to be that large for a major mobile esports league, however, this is still an immensely important step for the growth of mobile esports globally. It’ll be interesting to find out why the Snapdragon Pro Series has not tapped into LATAM and whether that will change in the future.
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